Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A communication method for establishing a communication between a second party and a respective one of a plurality of first parties, comprising: determining at least one factor associated with each respective first party selected from the group consisting of: a past history of use by the respective first party, wherein the use represented in the past history of use comprises a prior communication interaction with at least one second party, and a user profile of the respective first party; conveying the determined at least one factor associated with each respective first party to a plurality of second parties; receiving a plurality of bids from the plurality of second parties for an opportunity to communicate with a particular first party, after conveyance of the determined at least one factor associated with each respective first party; normalizing, with an automated processor, each respective bid of the plurality of received bids, based on at least both: a value of the respective bid placed by a respective second party for the respective opportunity to communicate with the particular first party, and the determined at least one factor associated with the particular first party, the normalized respective bid representing a value of the communication between a respective second party and the particular first party, distinct from a value of the respective bid; selecting, based on the normalized plurality of received bids, a winning normalized bid; and establishing a communication between the second party having the winning bid and the particular first party.
A communication system connects one person (first party) to one of many others (second parties) by: analyzing the first party's history (previous interactions) and profile; sharing this info with the second parties; collecting bids from the second parties to connect with the first party; normalizing each bid using both the bid value and the first party's data (so the bid value reflects the *specific* value of *this* connection); picking the best normalized bid; and then establishing the connection.
2. The communication method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining a physical location associated with each respective first party, wherein said selecting is further dependent on the determined physical location associated with the particular first party.
The communication system from the previous description also considers the physical location of the first party when selecting the winning bid, meaning the selection process depends on the user's location in addition to their history, profile, and bid values.
3. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the bids further comprise a non-economic component which is analyzed together with an economic component of the bids, to determine the respective bid value.
In the communication system from the first description, bids from the second parties include non-economic factors (e.g., user preferences, skills) which are analyzed alongside the economic factors (bid amount) to determine the overall bid value. This allows the system to optimize connections based on more than just monetary value.
4. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein said establishing is performed by an automated communication routing server.
In the communication system from the first description, an automated communication routing server handles the establishing of the communication between the winning second party and the first party. This server automates the connection process.
5. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein each second party has an associated profile, and said normalizing each respective bid of the plurality of received bids, is further based on at least an analysis of the respective second party associated profile of the plurality of second parties.
In the communication system from the first description, each second party also has a profile. The bid normalization process uses the first party's data *and* the second party's profile to determine the normalized bid value, thus considering both parties' characteristics.
6. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the bids received from the plurality of second parties relate to a plurality of first parties, wherein a communication between a respective second party and a particular first of the first parties is inconsistent with a communication between the respective second party and a particular second of the first parties, such that only one bid can be selected with respect to the inconsistent communications.
In the communication system from the first description, some potential connections between a second party and different first parties are mutually exclusive. Selecting a bid for one first party prevents selecting another bid from the *same* second party for a *different* first party. The system handles these conflicts during bid selection.
7. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein said determining at least one factor associated with each respective first party selected comprises determining a user profile of the respective first party through an interactive voice response system.
This invention relates to communication methods that enhance interactions between parties by determining factors associated with each participant to improve communication outcomes. The method involves selecting multiple first parties and determining at least one factor for each, such as their user profile, to facilitate more effective communication. The user profile is obtained through an interactive voice response (IVR) system, which collects and processes voice-based inputs to assess the participant's characteristics, preferences, or needs. This information is then used to tailor the communication process, ensuring that interactions are optimized based on the profiles of the involved parties. The method may also include selecting a second party to communicate with the first parties, where the selection is based on the determined factors. The communication is then established between the selected parties, leveraging the gathered profiles to enhance the interaction. This approach is particularly useful in scenarios where personalized or context-aware communication is required, such as customer service, sales, or support systems. The use of an IVR system for profile determination allows for automated and efficient data collection, reducing manual effort while improving the accuracy and relevance of the communication process.
8. The communication method according to claim 1 , where the second parties are call center agents, the first party is an inbound or outbound call with respect to a call center, and the plurality of bids each comprise an offer with respect to an economic payment to be made to the respective call center agent making the respective bid for engaging in the communication with the first party.
In the communication system from the first description, the second parties are call center agents, and the first party represents an incoming or outgoing call to the call center. The bids are offers from the agents about how much they should be paid to handle the call. The system optimizes call routing based on agent bids.
9. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first and second parties are each members of a dating service, and the established communication comprises a social communication.
In the communication system from the first description, both the first and second parties are members of a dating service, and the communication being established is a social connection (e.g., a date, online chat).
10. The communication method according to claim 1 , wherein each bid comprises a value function which has at least one independent parameter, wherein the value function is evaluated to determine a value after the bid is submitted by the respective second party in dependence on a state of the at least one independent parameter.
In the communication system from the first description, each bid includes a value function with variable parameters. The actual bid value is calculated *after* the bid is submitted, and depends on the current state of those parameters. The system adapts bid evaluation based on real-time conditions.
11. A communication method for conducting real-time interactive communications between a user of a first category, selected from a plurality of users of the first category, and a user of a second category selected from a plurality of users of the second category, comprising: determining parameters associated with each respective user of the plurality of users of the first category selected from the group consisting of a respective user profile and a respective user past history, wherein the respective user past history represents prior interactive communications between the respective user of the first category and at least one user of the second category; receiving a respective value function for each of the plurality of users of the second category as a respective bid for an opportunity to communicate with a user of the first category, the respective value function having a resolved value which varies in dependence on the defined parameters associated with each respective user of the plurality of users of the first category selected from the group consisting of a respective user profile and a respective user past history; matching a user of the second category with a user of the first category, dependent on an economic optimization of the resolved value of the respective value functions of the plurality of users of the second category, by comparing at least one of a cost-benefit and a cost-effectiveness of all concurrent competing matches of respective users of the first category with respective users of the second category, a match of a respective user of the first category with a respective user of the second category being inconsistent with a concurrent match of the respective first user involving a different user of the second category; and automatically controlling a communication involving the respective user of the first category with the respective user of the second category selectively in dependence on the matching.
A communication system matches users from two categories by: collecting profile and history information for users in the first category (based on past interactions with the second category); receiving value functions (bids) from users in the second category, where the resolved value of the function depends on the profile/history of users in the first category; matching users by economically optimizing the bids, considering cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness and resolving conflicting matches (a user can't be matched with two others simultaneously); and automatically establishing or controlling the communication based on the matching result.
12. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein: said determining parameters associated with each respective user of the plurality of users of the first category comprises determining a user profile through an interactive voice response system; and a match of a respective user of the first category with a respective user of the second category being inconsistent with a concurrent match involving the user of the second category with a different user of the first category.
The communication system from the previous description collects the first category user's profile via an interactive voice response (IVR) system. In addition, it ensures that a user in the *second* category can only be matched with *one* user in the *first* category at a time, and vice-versa, preventing one-to-many connections during the matching process.
13. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein each user is characterized by a respective user profile comprising a multi-parametric matrix of user characteristics, and said matching comprises conducting a combinatorial optimization.
In the communication system from the eleventh description, each user's profile consists of a multi-parametric matrix of user characteristics. The matching process uses combinatorial optimization to find the best connections based on these complex profiles, considering all possible combinations of matches.
14. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein said matching further considers an opportunity cost of the match with respect to alternative matches involving one of the users of the first and second categories.
The communication system from the eleventh description also considers the opportunity cost of a match, evaluating potential alternative matches for both the first and second category users. This ensures the selected match is the *best* overall option, considering missed opportunities.
15. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein the matching comprises determining a date for members of a dating site.
In the communication system from the eleventh description, the matching process is used to determine dates for members of a dating site, pairing compatible users based on their profiles, history, and preferences.
16. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein said matching comprises conducting an auction encompassing bids comprising at least one non-economic bid factor which is analyzed together with at least one economic bid factor, to determine the respective resolved value.
In the communication system from the eleventh description, the matching process conducts an auction that includes both economic and non-economic factors in the bids. These factors are combined to determine the overall value and influence the matching decisions.
17. The communication method according to claim 16 , wherein at least one determined parameter associated with each respective user of the plurality of users of the first category has an associated probability distribution and said matching is dependent on a statistical process involving the probability distribution.
In the communication system from the sixteenth description, at least one parameter in the first category user's profile has an associated probability distribution. The matching process uses statistical analysis and probability distributions of user parameters to improve matching accuracy.
18. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein each user of the second category has at least one characteristic, said matching of the respective user of the second category has a predicted effect on the at least one characteristic, and the at least one of the cost-benefit and the cost-effectiveness is dependent on the predicted effect on the at least one characteristic.
In the communication system from the eleventh description, each user of the second category has characteristics. The matching is based on the predicted effect that connection will have on those characteristics, such as the user's satisfaction or engagement level, and considers that effect in the cost-benefit analysis.
19. The communication method according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the cost-benefit and the cost-effectiveness of all concurrent competing matches is determined statistically, and said matching is further responsive to a cost associated with a risk of a mismatch representing a poor cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness of a respective match.
In the communication system from the eleventh description, the cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness of matches are determined statistically. The matching process also considers the risk of a poor match (low cost-benefit) and assigns a cost to that risk, influencing the overall matching optimization.
20. A communication method for establishing a communication, comprising: determining a communication parameter comprising at least one of a past history of use and a user profile of a human party, wherein the past history of use of the human party represents prior communications between the human party and at least one human counterparty; receiving, through an automated communication network, by an automated processor, a plurality of bids on behalf of a plurality of human counterparties in an auction for an opportunity to communicate with the human party; normalizing, with the automated processor, each respective bid of the plurality of received bids on behalf of the plurality of human counterparties to produce a respective normalized bid having a normalized value dependent on at least each of the respective bid, and the determined communication parameter, the normalized value being distinct from the respective bid, and a difference between the respective bid and the normalized bid being personalized with respect to each of the plurality of human counterparties; selecting, with the automated processor, based on the normalized values for each of the plurality of human counterparties, a winning normalized bid; accounting, with the automated processor, for the winning normalized bid in a bid database; and establishing, with the automated processor, parameters defining a communication between the human party and the respective human counterparty corresponding to the winning normalized bid.
A communication system establishes connections by: determining a communication parameter (profile/history) for a person (human party), based on past interactions with others; receiving bids via an automated network from other people (human counterparties) to communicate with that person; normalizing each bid to a normalized value based on the bid amount and the person's communication parameter (making the normalization personalized to each bidder); selecting a winning bid based on the normalized values; recording the winning bid in a database; and establishing communication based on the selected bid.
Unknown
October 31, 2017
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.